The Republican journal., 1887-07-28
In a Mexican Diligencia.
INTO THE ''HOT LANDS" ON THE wEsTER,
SLOPE OF TIE SIERRA MADRES.


old days of the dUigencia, and its picturesque
accompaniment of banditti with masks and
daggers, are fast drawing to close in Mexico,
for American engines and enterprise are push
ing them farther and farther into the wilder
ness. But there are many places in which the
stage-coach, with all its risks and discomforts,
will he preferred forever by travellers with an
eye to beauty-and one of these is the route to
Cuernavaca. Though only sixteen leagues
from Mexico city, just within the borders of
the terra caliente or shot lands," this old city
isseparated from the Capital by the lofty walls
of the Sierra Madre range, the scaling of which
is an experience long to be remembered.
Besides the charm of mountain scenery, the
section is invested with the glamour of histori-
cal romance, having been the theatre of Cortcz'
most adventurous exploits, and-thrcc hundred
years latcr-the favortc tramping-ground of
American invaders. The special object of our
journey was to inspect the scenes made famous
by the ancient Spanish and comparatively
recent American occupation of the Valley,
under the respective
ARMIES OF COIsrEZ AND SCOTT.
and to visit the country-seat of the early Con-
quistador, acquired after he had subjected the
AZtecs and been made ''Marquis of the Valley.'
Passage by coach from the City of Mexico to
Cuernavaca costs $3.50, with an arrObd (2j
lhs.) of luggage allowed gratis and fifty cents
charged for each additional arroba. In Mexico
the coach never comes to you, but you must
come to the coach, bag and baggage, as to Il
railway carriage-and although Oh this route
the advertised time of starting is 6 A. NJ. it is
well to present yourself at least an hour earlier
ut the yaWning portal of the Diligencias Cen
erales. In all this lazy country the one eXhihi-
tion of "taking time by the forelock" is in the
matter of stage-startiEg in the dim twilight of
the morning-the drivers being anxious to
reach as soon as possible the long midday
siesta. Fortunately we also seized old Father
Tcmpus i'm the same dsrcspcctful fashion,
i.urativcly speakins,-for fully twenty minutes
ahead of time the coach was rattliny through
the streets to the open plains beyond.
The locomotive power of the Cuernavaca
line consists of. nine mules to each coach, which
the driver keeps at a constant galop by crack
ing very long whip with great energy and
making the welkin ring at frequent intervals
by his musical cry of "Mulas! Ah-h-h-h-h!"
while the tan-coloreC assistant mounted beside
him carries Il bag o. small stones, which he
SHES, one by one, at the donkeys' ears, with IN
accuracy Of aim as astonishing as effective.
Far be it from Inc to administer to you doses
of history and scenery dI n0uSe0us,-but who
can Journey through tnc glorious valley ana
not wax enthusiastic, tinding excuse in the fact
that the great minds Of many centuries-poets,
warriors, historians, scientists have been
similarly quickencd here! Who can speed out
of these gates and not think of the gallant
Twiggs, who menaced them when the tides of
battle surged and ebbed around Cherubusco,
whose ruined walls are just beyond: What
American does not feel his pulses stirred by
the mere mention of the naIles of places near
which we are now passiEg-Chapultepec
Moino del Rey, the Hacienda lie San Antonio.
San Augustin and its dreary Pet1regol,-where
Scott, Worth, Pillow, Qutman, Twigys and
Pcrsifcr +. Smith distinguished themselves at
the expense of their Southern ncighoors, whose
only offence was in gallantly defending their
own!
Besides these later day transactions, in which
Americans should feel no sort of pride, the
left and the hills we are now climbing. witness
the most remarkable exploits of CoTtez, Al
VarauO, Coronado and Il long line of rascally
Spaniards, whose every step in the new world
was marked by the blood of the innocent.
Among these purple foothills was the ancient
Coyoacan, where the Conquons held his head
quarters during those days Of wholesale muir
der; and over there on the borders of lake
Nachimileo is the village OF the same name.
where the brave AZtecs came near making an
end of their troubles by capturing the cruel
Conquistador. Had they succeeded in taking
him prisoner, how quickly would they have
hustled him up the great staircase of
THAT TERRIBLE TEMPLE OF SACRIFICE
where old HuitZilopotchtli sat aloft on his
terrace with face toward the rising sun, whose
rays reflected upon his golden breast plate.
Already the lugubrious war-lrums of serpent
skin were sounding in anticipation, and the
priests, with barred breasts and 4 lder-anOintcd
locks, prepared their knives of volcanic glass
for the welcome task. Fortunate indeed would
the aborigines have been had their little game
succccded-but the hand of fate was stronger,
and with the escape of the ''Fair God' their
doom was sealed.
When we set out from the Capital city the
air was cool to chilliness, and though the
municipal lamps were eNtimguished. the great
solar lamps had not yet been lighted
"But now, like lobster boiled, the morn,
From black to red began to turn
At Tlalpam,-the ancient San Augustin, we
tarred only long enough to change mules, and
after leaving that lonely village with its trees
and gardens. wound upward among volcanic
rocks by a toilsome mountain road. At length
Ajusco was reached, cllldle,l close under the
extinct volcano of the same namc-a miserable
little village which from time inlmemOria has
been famous AS robbers nest. Above froWned
the black mountain, clothed from base to sum-
nit with dark forests of pine and hemlock-
certainly looking worthy of its brigand haunted
reputation.
Later, at La Guardian enterprsing hamlet
containing one adobe house, dozen cane-stalk
i0cols, and an alleged 'hotel'' which is Il cross
between the two-we halted for breakfast. 1t
was now eleven O'Clock, and we had climbed up
ward from the valley well into the terra trio,
or cold zone, to an altitude of 9,70O feet. In
side the rude hut, with its earthern floor and
tlatch of dirty straw, we breakfastcd sumptu-
ously (thanks to healthy appetites sharpened
by mountain air., on the most peppery of
rhHi-cOn-c0rnie, chicken smothered in garlic,
trejoles Obeans) stcwed in grease, tortas, and
pulquc-all of which luXuries were furnished
for fifty cents, and cheap enough at that, con-
sidcrng we had the full benefit, to boot. of our
coMpnneros cigarettes.
At LA Guarda
AN ARMED ESCORT
is provided by the government for every dilis-
encia. because ''KniyhtS of the roa,i' are be-
lcved to be lurking still in the lonesome reg
ions beyond, with an eye to business. The
said guard consists of four ragged soldiers in
scanty cotton garments, with sandals upon
their feet, straw hats upon their heads, and
rusty muskets of antiquated pattern in their
hands. AS the coach dashcs away at the top
most speed of nne-mulc power. the gallant
"escort' is obliged to shuttle along OH foot at Il
lively rate, or be left behind to the tender
mercies of the banditt,-a fate which they APP
peared to dread.
just before La Guarla was reached, we
turned to catch Il last glimpse of the distant
gittered far below in the valley. We had
passed olive orchards, gnarled and gray, re-
mindiny one of the Monks who introduced
them into Mexico, vineyards AS tlourishng
as those on the sunny slopes of the Spanish
hills from whence they were transplanted,
plantations Of giant cacti for the manufacture
of pulque, and numerous scattered hamlets
wherein the poor Indians live as nearly the
lives of their ancestors as these degenerate
days will permit. The natives whom we meet
in these elevated regions seem to carry them
selves with an air of greater dignity, despite
their extreme poverty, than their richer but
more completely subjugated brethren of the
valley. Living "near to natures heart may
not be so conducive to rapid civilization, but it
certainly spares the Indian that hang-,log air
which is the inevitable result of his contact
with the pale-faces. Those whom we meet on
their way to the market in Mexico excite our
wonder at their power of endurance. They
are laden with enormous crates of fruit,
fowls or vegetables, or fragrant alfalfa in
such bundles that nothing can be seen but Il
mass Of moving green with pair of black
legs beneath it. One had score of Yellow
headed parrots, all screaming ''Pa! Pa" at
once, which he offered for sale at twenty-five
cents apiece.
SIXTY MILES UNDER HEAVY LOAD
is not considered long distance to walk by
these cheerful though taciturn creatures; and
many Of them make the entire distance be-
tween Acapulco and Cuernavaca-eighty lea-
market they dispose Of their burden for a few
reales, which they Immediately proceed to il-
vest in pulque, and when their skins are filled
with that mild intoXicant they trudge home
ward happy as kings though no richer than
before.
About seven leagues from La Guarda we
come to the famous Cruz del Marquis great
stone cross set nm more than three centuries